Suspended jail sentence for Co Tyrone man who caused over £2,000 damage to house with hammer

The court heard the 53-year-old carried out the attack because he believed his daughter was being mistreated by a man she was living with.

Venancio Amaral, of Braeside, Dungannon, admitted charges of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, the hammer, and criminal damage on August 21.

Imposing the sentence, District Judge Francis Rafferty remarked it was an unusual case in that the defendant had attacked a house and not the person who had mistreated his daughter.

He stressed that both of those approaches are to be deprecated, as he had no right to take the law into his own hands, and any suspicion of mistreatment of his family should be reported to the police. The judge also ordered him to pay £2,580 in respect of the damage.

Prosecuting counsel said police received a report of a man with a hammer at a house in Fairmount Park, Dungannon, and later located Amaral standing on the pavement. He put the hammer down on the ground when challenged by the police.

The lawyer said the defendant told police he had the hammer to cause damage to the house which was occupied by the boyfriend of his daughter.

Counsel added that four windows were smashed and the front door damaged.

A defence lawyer explained Amaral was concerned about his young daughter who had bruising and had been living at the address for some months and not returning home.

He accepted the defendant’s behaviour had been “completely misguided” and he should have contacted the police.

The lawyer pointed out that Amaral had self-reported the incident to police and asked the court to accept that it had occurred within an emotional context.

He added that the defendant had a clear record and held down full-time employment.

Judge Rafferty cautioned Amaral that if this type of behaviour happened again within the next year he would be going to jail.